주희의 ‘부동심(不動心)’ 개념 해석과 문제들

Abstract

In The Mengzi 2A2, Gongsun Chou asked his master Mengzi whether you would perturb your heart-mind if you were appointed Prime Minister in Qi and were successfully able to put the Way into practice there. Mengzi replied that he would not perturb his heart-mind. Many scholars offer diverse interpretations on this unperturbed heart of Mengzi. One of them, Zhu xi reviewed previous traditional annotations of Mengzi and proposed his brand new annotation of this chapter of Mengzi. Zhu Xi interprets the "unperturbed heart-mind"(不動心) in relation to the absence of fear(恐懼) and uncertainty(疑惑). Modern researchers diverge into two interpretations: equating the state of the mind without fear and uncertainty with the unperturbed heart, or viewing the elimination of fear and uncertainty as the cause and the resultant state as the "unperturbed heart-mind." However, Zhu Xi does not regard emotions themselves as unperturbed or perturbed heart-mind but rather sees the excessive occurrence or prolonged presence of such emotions as indicative of a perturbed heart-mind state. Instead, this article suggests viewing the relationship between fear and uncertainty and the unperturbed heart not as a causal relationship but as a resonance relationship(感應關係). Although the Mengzi already says that Mengzi’s excellence of unperturbed heart-mind is in “understanding doctrines”(知言) and “cultivating his floodlike qi”(養氣), Zhu Xi newly interprets that the understanding doctrines are meant as investigation of principles(窮理) and the understanding doctrines is prior to cultivating floodlike qi(浩然之氣). According to Zhu Xi’s view, one should investigate principles in advance and then cultivate floodlike qi, and finally can get to the goal, unperturbed heart-mind. The priority of understanding causes moral agent to hold off moral actions and cultivation of floodlike qi until one’s understanding of li 理 reaches perfect. Also, this interpretation belittle the importance of cultivating qi and moral actions. This conundrum is found in Zhu Xi’s doctrine, “knowledge is prior to action.” In order to solve the problem of excessive emphasis on understanding doctrines, this article suggests making use of the suggested solution of Zhu Xi’s knowledge-action doctrine.